After returning to Qingzhu Courtyard, Lianxiang remained uneasy.
The Little Prince wanted to play a game of tossing cloth flowers with her, but she was too distracted to focus.
All she could think about was how to avoid meeting the Prince while he was staying in the manor. She truly had no idea what kind of trouble she might cause the next time she saw him.
She spent the entire time nervous and anxious.
Unexpectedly, not long afterward, a maid came in to report that the Prince had come to visit the Little Prince.
Since the weather outside was freezing cold, the little prince could no longer be carried out for the Prince to see. Instead, the Prince had to come to Qingzhu Courtyard himself.
Ironically, the Little Prince was fascinated by the outside world. He wanted to go out all day long, and once outside, he refused to come back.
Even yesterday, while snow was falling heavily, he had insisted on being carried outdoors. No amount of coaxing worked.
“The Prince has returned?” Nanny Ma, who was drinking tea, was startled. Clearly, she had not expected it.
“Yes. I heard the Prince even brought back a magician to perform tricks and entertain the Little Prince.”
A smile appeared on Nanny Ma’s usually stern face as attendants helped her stand.
“The Prince really spoils him. He’s already collected enough toys for the Little Prince to play with until he’s ten years old. Now the child is only ten months old, and he’s already brought in a magician. How could the Little Prince even understand the tricks?”
As she spoke, the heavy windproof curtain was lifted.
Yun Suiwu walked in.
He had changed out of his black travel cloak and was now wearing a lotus-blue brocade cloak trimmed with silver fox fur.
He looked elegant, noble, and unmatched in grace.
The maids quickly knelt to greet him.
Yun Suiwu raised a hand slightly to stop Nanny Ma from bowing too deeply.
“Your Highness has traveled such a long distance. Why not rest first and visit the Little Prince later?” Nanny Ma said.
“It’s fine,” Yun Suiwu replied calmly.
“Wet Nurse Qian and Wet Nurse Shen are inside playing toss-the-cloth-flower with the Little Prince. Now that he’s older, he can’t stay indoors all day. Rain or shine, he always wants to go outside. He’s exactly like Your Highness was as a child.”
Whenever she talked about the Little Prince, Nanny Ma could not help but sigh.
After all, the Little Prince and the Prince were brothers born of the same mother.
Not only did the Little Prince resemble the Prince when he was young, but he had inherited the same lively and mischievous personality.
The only difference was that the Little Prince was easier to comfort.
The Prince, on the other hand, had always had an unusual temperament since childhood.
Yun Suiwu nodded slightly.
“Aunt Pei mentioned that already.”
Then he walked toward the inner room.
Wet Nurse Qian had already noticed the activity outside.
Lianxiang, however, was lost in her thoughts and paid no attention.
When the Prince entered, she was sitting with her back to the doorway and did not notice him at all.
“Ah!”
The Little Prince threw a cloth doll with all his strength.
Lianxiang bent down to pick it up and only then noticed the Prince, who was already approaching the bed.
Wet Nurse Qian, Xiyu, and Xizhu had all knelt down.
Realizing this, Lianxiang hurriedly dropped to her knees as well. Her face turned slightly pale.
“You may rise.”
Yun Suiwu glanced at her briefly before walking directly to the Little Prince.
After three months apart, the Little Prince had completely forgotten who his older brother was.
His bright black eyes stared curiously at the approaching Prince.
When Yun Suiwu sat down on the couch, the Little Prince suddenly called out:
“Mother…”
Mother?
Yun Suiwu immediately frowned and looked at Lianxiang.
“Your Highness, the Little Prince has only recently learned to speak. The word he’s saying refers to his wet nurse,” Aunt Pei quickly explained.
Her tone carried a hint of helplessness.
At the moment, “mother” was the only word the Little Prince could clearly say.
As soon as the Little Prince called out, Wet Nurse Qian hurried to his side.
Seeing this, Lianxiang quietly moved over beside Wet Nurse Qian.
Wet Nurse Qian had a large, sturdy build.
Lianxiang attempted to hide behind her, like an ostrich burying its head in the sand.
She thought that if the Prince could not see her, then she would not have to see him either.
Yun Suiwu silently observed everything.
After comforting the Little Prince for a few moments, Wet Nurse Qian carried him over to the Prince.
“Your Highness, look at him. When the Little Prince puts on a serious face, he looks exactly like His Majesty,” Aunt Pei said sincerely.
She did not even need to point it out.
Yun Suiwu could already see it.
Not only did the Little Prince resemble their father in appearance, but even his mannerisms were strikingly similar.
The coldness in Yun Suiwu’s eyes gradually melted away.
He gazed at his younger brother with rare gentleness.
“Little Prince, call him ‘Older Brother,'” Wet Nurse Qian encouraged eagerly.
The nurses had spent a long time teaching the Little Prince to say those words.
He was very smart and had learned quickly.
If he called the Prince “Older Brother” now, she would surely receive a reward.
However, despite all her efforts, the Little Prince simply pressed his lips together and stared suspiciously at the unfamiliar man.
He refused to speak.
“The Little Prince hasn’t seen Your Highness in a long time,” Aunt Pei said as she handed the Prince a cup of hot tea.
“He doesn’t yet realize that Your Highness is his brother. After a few days, he’ll certainly say it.”
Yun Suiwu did not mind.
Soon afterward, he ordered the entertainer to come in and perform.
The performer could not only do various magic tricks but could also imitate the sounds of many animals.
The Little Prince watched with wide eyes, drool hanging from his mouth.
Even the maids and wet nurses found the performance fascinating.
Lianxiang had never seen such amazing tricks in her life.
The imitation of bird calls was so realistic that she truly thought a lark was hiding somewhere in the room.
Even so, she never forgot her duties.
Every so often, she turned back to check on the Little Prince and wipe the drool from the corners of his mouth.
“Hehehe…”
The Little Prince laughed happily as the performer did somersaults.
His bell-like laughter filled the room.
Lianxiang bent down once again to wipe his mouth.
As she did, she felt someone’s gaze resting on her face.
She assumed the Prince was simply looking at the Little Prince and paid no attention.
After wiping away the drool, she stood up again.
Then she suddenly remembered that the Little Prince might need a diaper change.
As she bent down to check, she caught a glimpse of the Prince’s dark eyes.
He was looking directly at her.
Her hand trembled.
She quickly told herself she must be imagining things.
Why would the Prince be looking at her?
When she discovered the diaper was wet, she and Wet Nurse Qian changed it together.
Since the Prince was present, Wet Nurse Qian eagerly took charge.
Once they finished, Lianxiang picked up the dirty diaper and left the room.
Xiyu offered to take it from her, but she refused.
Yun Suiwu watched her flee as though she were a little white rabbit escaping from a wolf.
His eyes lowered slightly as he rubbed the white jade ring on his finger.
After leaving, Lianxiang never returned.
Instead, she exchanged duty shifts with Wet Nurse Zhao.
Knowing the Prince was present and eager to make a good impression, Wet Nurse Zhao—who desperately wanted to become the Little Prince’s chief wet nurse—agreed immediately.
When Yun Suiwu saw that Wet Nurse Zhao had returned instead of Lianxiang, his lips tightened slightly.
His eyes darkened.
“Where is Wet Nurse Shen?” he asked.